Russia on Monday, July 21st, downplayed the chances of a breakthrough in peace talks with Ukraine, saying the two sides held “diametrically” opposed positions, hours after it launched a massive drone and missile barrage on Kyiv.
Moscow said a date for talks was being worked on, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed holding fresh negotiations over the weekend.
Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the three-year-long war have stalled after U.S. President Donald Trump forced the two sides to open direct talks after he returned to the White House in January.
The two sides last met more than a month ago in Istanbul, exchanging draft ideas of what a peace deal could look like.
“We now need to exchange views and hold negotiations on these two drafts, which are currently diametrically opposed. A lot of diplomatic work lies ahead,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The talks have so far resulted only in prisoner exchanges, with momentum for a ceasefire having sapped.
Trump, who has expressed mounting frustration with Putin, last week gave the Russian leader a 50-day ultimatum to make a deal or face massive economic sanctions.
Zelensky on Friday called for talks to take place this week.
Moscow said it was ready, but that there was no agreement for when the next round would take place yet.
“As soon as there is final agreement on the dates, we will inform you immediately,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russia last month demanded Kyiv’s army retreat from four Ukrainian regions Moscow claimed to annex in September 2022, but does not have full control over, as well as reject all forms of Western military support.
Kyiv dismissed it as an unacceptable ultimatum, and has at times questioned the point of further negotiations if Moscow was not willing to make concessions
Ukraine called for an immediate ceasefire and for Moscow to respect its NATO and EU ambitions.